Change-speed gear box or universal divisor



March 13, 1928.

1,662,688 G. VEBER CHANGE SPEED GEAR BOX OR UNIVERSAL DIVISOR Filed July 28, 1925 {Sheets-Sheet 1 I72 4 6 7/ fa r. G. Vafio March 13, 1928 I 1,662,688

G. VEBER CHANGE SPEEDGEAR BOX 0R UNIVERSAL DIVISOR Filed July 28, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2 fig, 2

are GI VEBER 1,662,688

CHANGE SPEED GEAR BOX 0R UNIVERSAL DIVISOR Filed July 28, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Cf VeJer March 13, 1928. I 1,662,688

(5'. VEBER CHANGE SPEED GEAR BOX OR UNIVERSAL DIVISOR Filed July 28, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES VEBER, OE EPINAL, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB TO SOGIETE DES ETABLISSEMENTS SINGRllNT, OF EIPI'NAL, FRANCE, AVCORPORATION F FRANCE.

CHANGE-SPEED GEAR BOX 0R UNIVERSAL DIVISOR.

Application filed July 28-, 1926, Serial No. 125,538, and in France Jul 29, 1925.

from 1 to It relates to those of these devices which comprise epicycloidal trains of gearwheels, composing speeds of intermediate shafts rotated by means of cones of stepped gear wheels.

In lmown change-speed gear boxes of this type, a cone of stepped wheels,,held fixed, is surrounded by a driven casing or gear box in which are journaled intermediate sliding pinions intended to be engaged one at a time, with one of the cone wheels, each intermediate shaft is provided externally of the casing with a pinion which meshes with a wheel concentric with the cone. The whole thus affords the" conjugation of epicycloidal trains by epicycloidal trains.

From the fact that epicycloidal trains are utilized to obtain the various speeds to be afforded, it becomes necessary, if it be wished to arrange even a fairly limited set of perfectly graduated speeds, to employ a large number ofsliding satellite pinions (1 per speed), of driven planetary wheels, and of epicycloidal trains for the addition of the movements of these last wheels.

Further, the law of speeds is complex and it is impossible to obtain in a general manner the relations of speed 1 to N or the divisions 40 l to from unit to unit. Moreover, since the sliding pinions are carried round in the rotation of the casing, their drive during working presents a certain amount of difliculty. Lastly, it is necessary to refer to a chart or the like to know which are the sliding gears to be put into engagement when it is wished to obtain a given ratio of s d.

-The change-speed gear-box which is the subject of the present invention, is free from these inconvenience-s, It .is applicable in particular as a divisor in machines for cutting gear wheels, either by disc-cutters or by screw-cutters; in this case the rotating cone or cones can be operated by the differential train or trains of gears, the apparatus being reversible.

The annexed drawing represents by way of examples, some forms of construction of the apparatus. In this drawing the same figures of reference designate equivalent parts;

Figure 1 is a diagram in plan of one of these forms. Figure 2 is a similar view of a modification. Figure 3 is a section of F igure 2 on line 33. Figure 4 is a diagram in plan view of a second modification. Figure 5 is a corresponding transverse section onvline 55. shafts upon each of which are arranged The characteristic feature of the gear box according to this invention is that the stepped cone or cones of gear wheels 1 1 1 which are rotatable, are connected with the intermediate shafts 2, 2, 2 which are fixed in space, by means of displaceable wheel-fitted frames 3, 3 3 in order that the whole scale of speeds for each of the said shafts can be directly obtained.

It is easy thus to obtain for these shafts speeds which follow one another according to the series of whole numbers. The speed of each shaft is immediately known by the position of the corresponding wheel-fitted frame upon the cone or cones; a single one of these wheel-fitted frames is suflicient to obtain all the speeds which any one shaft is to assume. The connecting shafts between cones and epicycloidal trains remaining fixed in space, the sliding wheel-fitted frames can be manipulated conveniently even during working.

Another characteristic of the invention consists in the use for the addition of the speeds, of differential trains of gears or balance-gears in which the driving bevel wheel 5, 5 and the driven bevel wheel 6, 6 (are-equal to one another, the satellite bevel pinions 7 being in consequence equal to one another; I

If,'in the trains of gears so formed, the cage or member carrying the satellite pinions 8, 8 remaining fixed, the driving bevel wheel 5, 5 turns, its rotation is transmitted to the driven bevel wheel 6, 6, retaining its value but changing its sign or direction. If the driven bevel wheel 5, 5, being stationary, the cage or member carrying the satellite pinions 8, 8, is caused to turn, the driven bevel wheel (5, (5, assumes a speed which is in the same direction as that of the said cage or member and is of double extent.

If, during the rotation of the cage or member carrying the satellites 8, 8, a rotation in the opposite direction he imparted to the drivin bevel wheel the driven bevel wheel 6, 6" revdlves at a speed equal in absolute value, to the sum of the speed of the driving bevel wheel 5. 5, and double the speed of the cage or member carrying the satellite pinions 8, 8.

These properties enable the speeds of the intermediate shafts of the device to be chosen in such a manner that the speed of the driven shaft can increase, unit by unit, according to the succeeding whole numbers. A constructional arrangement comprising, for example, a cone of N wheels which have increasing diameters, unitv by unit. from 1 to N, a first displaceable wheel-fitted frame engaging with one of these wheels, communicates to the driving bevel wheel of the train, a speed of which the absolute value can increase according to the sequence of the whole numbers from 1 to N. A second displaceable wheel-fitted frame having a multiplying recontrols the member or cage lation of carrying the satellites, which cage transmits consequently to the driven wheel, supplementary speeds varying from according to an arithmetical progression having a constant difference or base N+l.

Thus one has at disposal a continuous sequence of speeds varying. unit by unit, from 1 to ((N+1)N+N) either from 1 to 195 with two intermediate 'shafts, for N 12 (base 1 One can utilize a new supplementary differential train, mounted in continuance of tnc first. with a common double loose wheel. The member carrying the satellite pinions of this last train is operated trough a wheelditted frame of equal T I! multiplying ratio There is then arranged a continuous series of speeds proceeding from 1 to either from 1 to 999, with three intermediate shafts, for N=9 (base 10). In this case, one of the shafts affords the units, another the tens, the third the hundreds.

In general, the number of speeds which can be obtained i equal to the sum of terms of geometrical progression of which the constant factor or base (N+ 1) can be selected at will and of which the first term is N. The number of these terms is equal to that of the differential trains increased by 1.

According to Figure 1 of the drawings. there are two differential trains or balancegears thus combined, whilst the modifications shown in Figures 2 and 1 comprise onl a single one.

In the first modification represented. the rotary shaft 9 carries the cone 1 com )oscd of nine toothed wheels of which the diameters are in arithmetical progression from 1 to J. A fixed wheel 10 is arranged in proximity to the largest wheel of the cone 1. Each of the displaceable wheel-titted frames 31. 3, It". can be moved along the corresponding shaft 2, 2 2 the pinion mounted on this shaft driving it by an elongated key or feather. The displaceable wheel-fitted frames pivot at the same time so as to.be capable of being brought into engagement with the desired wheel of the cone, or with the fixed wheel 10, which corresponds with the stoppage of the shaft concerned. The shaft. .2 rotates the driving bevel wheel 5 of a first. differential train or balance-gear by the intermediary of the pair of toothed wheels 11. The shaft 2 rotates by means of the wheel 12, the cage carrying the satellites 8 of this same train. The driven bevel wheel (3 of th latter is fast with the driving bevel wheel 5- of the following train. The cage carrying the satellites 8 of this last mentioned train is driven by the spur-wheel l3 keyed on the shaft 2. The driven bevel wheel (3 of the last train is fast with the shaft 11.

The wheel-titted frames 2 3, 3" are eon stituted in such a manner that the cage. carrying the satellites 8 of the first train turns in the opposite direction to that of the wheel 5 which the same as that of the cage carrying the satellite pinions 8. The wheels employed in these wheelditted frames are chosen in such a way that the multiplying powers of the transmission gears corresponding with each of the shafts 2, 2, 3" are between them as 1. 5 and 50.

In these conditions the speed of the wheel 5 varies from unit to unit up to S). when th wlu-el-litted frame 3 is moved from the smallest wheel of the cone 1 to the largest. The speed of the cage H varies by 5 and 5 up to 45 when one moves also the wheel-titted frame it: as regards the cage 8 its speed increases by 50 and 50 up to 450 fo a similar movementof the wheel-titted frame $1". Since the rotations of the satellite carriers R are multiplied by two by the action of the ditl'erential or balance-gears, the speed of the driven bevel wheel 0 increases by 10 and 1 up to 90 when one moves the wheel-fitted frame 3- as indicated above. the other wheeltitted frames being at rest. The speed increases by 100 and 100 up to 900 when one.

ll l

Li a

acts in the same conditions upon the wheelfitted frame 3'.

By reason of the addition of the speeds further produced by the differential gears, the wheel 6 and its shaft 14 can thus assume a speed varying from 0 to 999, unit by unit. The wheel-fitted frame 3 is that for the units, the frame 3 that for the tens, and the frame 3 that for hundreds. In order to obtain a given relationship of speeds, it is sufficient to write or mark in some way the number which expresses it, the bases of the apparatus being equal to 10.

As has been mentioned above, the apparatus is reversible and ,can, consequently, become a reducer of speed instead of being a multiplying ear, as previously described. If, instead 0 providing upon the shaft 14 all the speeds from 1 to 999, there is imparted to this shaft a circular movement and it is turned once round, the cone 1 1'0- tates through a fraction of a. turn comprised between 1 and g according to the position of the wheel-fitted frames upon the cone.

This rotation can be communicated, for example, by means of a screw 15, keyed upon the shaft 9, to the plate 16 of a gear-wheelcutting machine. The apparatus then enables all wheels tobe out having a number of teeth comprised between 0 and 999 even if this number is first.

The modification of Figures 2 and 3 provides only 400 ratios of different speeds, but with a slngle difi'erential train or balancegear and only two sliding wheel-fitted frames, which reduces considerably the number of parts of the apparatus and increases its precision.

To the driving bevel wheel 5 of the differential are imparted speeds which can be varied from O to 19 and to the cage carrying the satellites 8 are imparted ositive speeds capable of beingrvaried as desired by 20 and 20 up to 380. he result is that the driven bevel wheel 6 of the train can assume any speed comprised between 0 and 399. The basis of the apparatus is then equal to 20.

Instead of a single cone of 19 wheels lus one fixed wheel) which would be cum ersome, there are utilized two cones of ten wheels each, 1 1". The cone 1 gives the speeds from 0 to 9'by means of the wheelfitted frame 3 and speeds from O to 180 by the wheel-fitted frame 3. The'cone 1 gives speeds from 10 to 19 by the wheel-fitted frame 3, and the speeds from 200 to 380 by the wheel-fitted frame 3. The cones 1 and 1 are actuated, each at the speed which suits it, b the wheels 17 18 and 19, this last being l reyed on the shaft 9 which controls the divisor plate.

The cone 1 is in a single piece whilst the cone 1 is divided into four parts including the fixed wheel 10. To the other parts-of the cone 1 are imparted different angular speeds. The six lower pinions are fast with the shaft 20 carrying the wheel 18 whilst the wheels 1 and 1 receive their motion by the intermediary of the shaft 21 and of the wheels 1 22, 23, the wheel 1,, being on 'the other hand put in motion by the same shaft 21 by the intermediary of the wheel 24'.

The sliding wheel-fitted frames 3 and 3 (Fig. 3) situated on each side of the cones 1 1 are capable of tilting upon the shafts 2, 2. They are provided, each with two engaging pinions 25, 25 and 26, 26 which are caused to mesh with the wheels of the cones 1 and 1" respectively. These sliding wheelnected together by the pinions 29, 30, 31,

fast with the shaft 32.v The lower section. comprising ten wheels is keyed upon the shaft 9; the wheels 1 and 1 are driven simultaneously by the pinion 29 and the wheel 1 is separated therefrom by the wheel 30.

The sliding wheel-fitted frame 3 transmits to the cage whichcarries the satellites 8 of the differential, and by means of the wheel 33, speeds varying from 0 to +7, +14, +21 The sliding wheel-fitted frame 3 transmits to the wheel 5, negative speeds 0, -1, 2, 3 13 after reduction by the two pairs of spur-wheels 34, 35. The basis of the apparatus is in this case equal to 14.

The movement of the shaft 14 can be trans mitted elsewhere by means of. a pair of wheels 3637. If the wheel 37 has a number of teeth half that of the wheel 36, the speeds which its shaft will assume for the various positions of the sliding members upon the cone, will vary by two and two, from O to 390, which allows of the possibilities of the apparatus to be extended in a very simple manner by means only of the changing of the wheel 37.

The number of gear wheels in the cone can be further reduced whilst'maintaining the power toreverse the direction of one or several intermediate shafts, in such a way as to have a term either subtractive, or additive, in place of a t-erm always additive in the composition of the speeds.

It is evident that the. invention is not strictly limited to the ratios of speed indicated or to the shapes and details of construction described and shown, but that it can be carried out with variations. Thus,

in particular, in place of employing differential or balance-gears having crown wheels and bevel pinions, spur-gears may be used.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A change speed gear, comprising a frame, a drive member, a stepped wheel gear driven thereby, a number of countershat'ts journalled in said frame, a tumbler gear slidably mounted upon each of said countershafts and adapted to engage with anyone. of the toothed Wheels of the stepped wheel gear, a planet gear comprising a number of planet gear units, one of the sun wheels of one. of the planet gear units being fast with one of the sun wheels of the next planet gear unit, a driven member fast with one of the sun wheels of one of said planet gear units, a gear driven by one of the countershafts adapted to actuate that one of the sunwheels of the first planet gear unit. which is not fast with the sun wheel of the second planet gear unit, a gear driven by each of the other countershafts and adapted to actuate the planet-pinion carrier of each of the planet gear units.

2. In a change speed gear as claimed in claim 1, the arrangementin which the toothed wheels of the stepped wheel gear are provided with a number of teeth in arithmetical progression from one wheel to the next one, and in which the gear ratio from the first wheel of the tumbler gear slidably mounted upon anyone of the countershafts, to the planet pinion carrier actuated by the same countershaft is a multiple of the half of the number of wheels of the ste ped gear plus one, for the purpose dcscribet 3. In a change speed gear as claimed in claim 1, the provision of means for preventing a movement of rotation of any one of the countershafts, after disengagement of the tumbler gear mounted upon the same from the stepped wheel gear.

4. In a change speed gear as claimed in claim 1, the provision, upon the frame, of a toothed wheel with which anyone of the tumbler gears may engage, for the purpose described.

5. In a change speed gear as claimed in claim 1, the provision of a reducing speed gear actuated by one of the wheels of the stepped gear and actuating auxiliary toothed wheels, with which anyone of the tumbler gears may be brought in engagement, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGES VEBER. 

